Islam and other religions

Over the centuries of Islamic history, Muslim rulers, Islamic scholars, and ordinary Muslims have held many different attitudes towards other religions. Attitudes have varied according to time, place and circumstance.

The Qur'an distinguishes between the monotheistic People of the Book (ahl al-kitab) (Jews, Christians, Sabians and others) on the one hand and polytheists or idolaters on the other hand. There are certain kinds of restrictions that apply to polytheists but not to People of the Book. One example is that Muslim males are allowed to marry a Christian or Jew, but not a polytheist. Muslim women, however, may not marry non-Muslim men.

The idea of Islamic supremacy is encapsulated in the formula, "Islam is exalted and nothing is exalted above it."

Abraham, Moses, Hebrew prophets, and Jesus were all prophets of Islam, but according to Muslim tradition their message and the texts of the Torah and the Gospels were corrupted by Jews and Christians.

Apostasy in Islam can be punishable by death or imprisonment according to most interpretations. W. Heffening states that Shafi'is interpret verse ^{[Quran 2:217]} as adducing the main evidence for the death penalty in Qur'an. Wael Hallaq states the death penalty was a new element added later and "reflects a later reality and does not stand in accord with the deeds of the Prophet." He further states that "nothing in the law governing apostate and apostasy derives from the letter of the holy text." There are also interpretations according to which apostates aren't executed nor punished, and there is freedom of religion.

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